upon the Indians I fought about a week ago, and in the worst possible section of country I could possibly to encounter an enemy.

My road lay through a succession of mountain gorges, down deep ravines, with perpendicular bluffs, so narrow only one wagon could pass at a time, intersected with valleys, down which the Indians could dash onto any point of my train. Stretched out in a single line we would extend from three to four miles. The large emigrant train I had were ox-teams heavily loaded, and it was impossible to move them except at a snail's pace; I felt more apprehension for their safety then for that of my command, for they had with them a large number of women and children. Therefore I took every precaution for protection as well as and a strong guard in rear, with Captain Pope's four howitzers, with orders for companies to dismount and take the heights at dangerous points, remaining there till the next company in their rear relieved them. I sent three companies of the Second Brigade, who had the advance, ahead with a pioneer party, followed by Jones' battery. Colonel Thomas, with the rest of the Second Brigade, followed on the flanks of the wagons, while the First Brigade followed guarding the rest of the trains. I accompanied the advance brigade. I had given orders that at every point, when the nature of the ground would allow it, for the teams to double up and park as close as they could, so as to close up the rear. After marching about three miles we came onto the Indians strongly posted in front and on the flanks of a deep mountain pass. They were dislodged after some little trouble, the shells from Jones' battery doing good execution, and the advance with other troops pushed on, while the pioneer party made the road. The Indians attacked me on the flanks and rear at the same time, but on all occasions they were repulsed with heavy loss by troops near by, and thus we advanced fighting, hunting a road and digging it out, till we reached a small lake and spring about ten miles from our starting-point, repulsing the Indians at every point with great slaughter. I speak partly from what I saw, for in their hasty retreat they had to leave in many instance their dead on the ground; they carried them off whenever they could. At the spring there was for a short time quite a brisk little skirmish, the Indians trying to keep us from the only water we had they day, and the day was so hot that the animals were suffering very much, having had not much to eat for two days. Part of Colonel McLaren's, Second Minnesota had most of the work here. One of his companies in advance got separated from the rest and surrounded; they however got into a hollow and defended themselves until relieved by other companies sent out from Colonel Thomas' command. Their loss, however, was slight in comparison to their danger. Unfortunately this day I lost the services of my guide; he was shot, having ventured too far in the advance. He was the only one who knew the country over which we were marching.

The next morning we moved forward. The Indians were in front of us appearing is if they intended to give us battle. Probably about 1,000 showed themselves. I pushed forward Major House, Sixth Iowa, with two companies of the Sixth Iowa, and Captain Tripp's Dakota cavalry, and sent forward Major Brackett with one company of his battalion, and Pope's four howitzers, dismounting the rest of the Sixth Iowa, under Lieutenant-Colonel Pollock, on the right, and three companies of the Seventh Iowa, under Lieutenant-Colonel Pattee, on the left, to push out and clear our flanks, and moved forward with Jones' battery and the train, Colonel Thomas, with his Minnesota bri-